Wrapping Up the Designer Crochet Project: 3 More Famous Fashion Designers

Way back in November 2011 I set myself a goal of learning more about all of the fashion designers in the book 50 Fashion Designers You Should Know by Simone Werle with an eye towards learning about any crochet in their lines. Yesterday I finally wrapped up that research when I did the fiftieth profile on that list, the profile of Yves Saint Laurent. Well, almost … there were three designers I’d skipped over in the process because I hadn’t been able to find any crochet in their lines. I want to do this project justice so I thought I’d do a quick look at those three designers today.

So, I’ll be looking at who they are and what type of fashions they created and if there’s anything that resembles crochet at all. The designers are Hedi Slimane, Jeanne Lanvin and Main Bocher.

Fashion Designer Hedi Slimane

Hedi Slimane was born in Paris in the late 1960s and learned sewing from his mother He did a couture apprenticehip with Jose Levy in the mid-90s. He then went on to work as the chief designer at Yves Saint Laurent until it was taken over by Tom Ford and he chose to move to chief designer at Christian Dior but has recently returned to YSL where he is causing controversy by bringing a rock edge to the brand. Slimane is known for menswear that is slim and clean in lines.

Fashion Designer Jeanne Lanvin

Jeanne Lanvin is the very first designer listed in the chronologically ordereed book by Werle. The designer was born in France in 1867. At age 22 she opened a hat shop. In 1908 she added children’s clothes to her business and then the following year launched women’s clothes, making the Lanvin fashion house the oldest fashion house in the world. Starting in the 1920s she went on to add home decor, sportswear, fragrances and men’s lines in quick succession. She continued to run the business until she died in 1946 at almost eighty years of age. The fashion house has been under the direction of different designers ever since. Wikipedia says of her style, “Jeanne Lanvin’s skillful use of intricate trimmings, virtuoso embroideries and beaded decorations in clear, light, floral colors became a Lanvin trademark.”

Fashion Designer Main Bocher

Main Bocher is another early designer in fashion history; Werle tells us that “he was the first American designer to open a couture house in Paris”, which he did in 1929 and was successful at even though it was The Great Depression era. Prior to that he worked as a fashion illustrator for Harper’s Bazaar and then as a corespondent and editor for French Vogue. He specialized in women’s evening wear although he was a versatile designer who even created Navy uniforms during World War II. He stayed in fashion design until 1971 and passed away five years later at the age of eighty six. He closed the doors of the fashion house, not passing it on as most designers choose to do, although there may be a revival in the works.

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